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From: Roger Mills on 20 Apr 2010 07:39
My computer has recently developed a very annoying fault of locking up, and
I need some help to diagnose and fix it.

It's an HP/Compaq laptop running Win XP/SP3 but I'm using it as a desktop
with additional monitor and separate keyboard/mouse.

The symptoms are as follows:
* The taskbar (which is usually hidden) displays when I mouse over it, and
then freezes in position - and the clock doesn't update
* The mouse pointer continues to move in response to mouse movements, but
mouse clicks (mostly) have no effect
* I am unable to open any new programs or shut down any that are open
* Mailwasher (which I have permanently open on one of the monitors)
continues to scan for emails and displays any new ones it finds. It even
responds to mouse clicks to zap any emails I don't want - but it's virtually
the only program which *does* respond to mouse clicks
* This freeze-up happens every morning - not always at the same time, but
usually between 10am and noon. [I can't find anything that's scheduled to
happen at this time, which may cause it]
* The only way (that I can find) to recover is to power down ("big red
switch" job - except that it isn't red) and start again
* Once restarted, it usually runs ok for the rest of the day

Oh, and one final thing - I'm not sure whether it's relevant . .
It has only started happening since I installed the software for a USB-based
Canon all-in-one printer scanner - but the device itself is at another
location and so not physically connected - but the problem is still
occurring. [The device doesn't show up in Device Manager, so I can't tell
the system not to use it in this profile, or somesuch]

Anyone come across anything like this, or got any ideas?

TIA.
--
Cheers,
Roger
_______
Please reply to Newsgroup. Whilst email address is valid, it is seldom
checked.


From: Adrian C on 20 Apr 2010 07:50
On 20/04/2010 12:39, Roger Mills wrote:

> * This freeze-up happens every morning - not always at the same time, but
> usually between 10am and noon. [I can't find anything that's scheduled to
> happen at this time, which may cause it]

What time do you switch it on?

Fan/Heatsink clogged up with fluff? Left the carton for the HP software
box blocking the laptop vents?

--
Adrian C
From: The Natural Philosopher on 20 Apr 2010 07:51
Roger Mills wrote:
> My computer has recently developed a very annoying fault of locking up, and
> I need some help to diagnose and fix it.
>
> It's an HP/Compaq laptop running Win XP/SP3 but I'm using it as a desktop
> with additional monitor and separate keyboard/mouse.
>
> The symptoms are as follows:
> * The taskbar (which is usually hidden) displays when I mouse over it, and
> then freezes in position - and the clock doesn't update
> * The mouse pointer continues to move in response to mouse movements, but
> mouse clicks (mostly) have no effect
> * I am unable to open any new programs or shut down any that are open
> * Mailwasher (which I have permanently open on one of the monitors)
> continues to scan for emails and displays any new ones it finds. It even
> responds to mouse clicks to zap any emails I don't want - but it's virtually
> the only program which *does* respond to mouse clicks
> * This freeze-up happens every morning - not always at the same time, but
> usually between 10am and noon. [I can't find anything that's scheduled to
> happen at this time, which may cause it]
> * The only way (that I can find) to recover is to power down ("big red
> switch" job - except that it isn't red) and start again
> * Once restarted, it usually runs ok for the rest of the day
>
> Oh, and one final thing - I'm not sure whether it's relevant . .
> It has only started happening since I installed the software for a USB-based
> Canon all-in-one printer scanner - but the device itself is at another
> location and so not physically connected - but the problem is still
> occurring. [The device doesn't show up in Device Manager, so I can't tell
> the system not to use it in this profile, or somesuch]
>
> Anyone come across anything like this, or got any ideas?
>
> TIA.
hardware fault or dodgy device driver: looks very like (some) interrupts
are being masked, probably by an interrupt service routine waiting
forever for hardware that doesn't respond..

From: Adrian on 20 Apr 2010 07:57
"Roger Mills" <watt.tyler(a)googlemail.com> gurgled happily, sounding much
like they were saying:

> Oh, and one final thing - I'm not sure whether it's relevant . . It has
> only started happening since I installed the software for a USB-based
> Canon all-in-one printer scanner - but the device itself is at another
> location and so not physically connected - but the problem is still
> occurring. [The device doesn't show up in Device Manager, so I can't
> tell the system not to use it in this profile, or somesuch]

Is there a Canon software component being auto-started on boot?
From: Bruce on 20 Apr 2010 08:02
On Tue, 20 Apr 2010 12:39:55 +0100, "Roger Mills"
<watt.tyler(a)googlemail.com> wrote:
>My computer has recently developed a very annoying fault of locking up, and
>I need some help to diagnose and fix it.
>
>It's an HP/Compaq laptop running Win XP/SP3 but I'm using it as a desktop
>with additional monitor and separate keyboard/mouse.
>
>The symptoms are as follows:
>* The taskbar (which is usually hidden) displays when I mouse over it, and
>then freezes in position - and the clock doesn't update
>* The mouse pointer continues to move in response to mouse movements, but
>mouse clicks (mostly) have no effect
>* I am unable to open any new programs or shut down any that are open
>* Mailwasher (which I have permanently open on one of the monitors)
>continues to scan for emails and displays any new ones it finds. It even
>responds to mouse clicks to zap any emails I don't want - but it's virtually
>the only program which *does* respond to mouse clicks
>* This freeze-up happens every morning - not always at the same time, but
>usually between 10am and noon. [I can't find anything that's scheduled to
>happen at this time, which may cause it]
>* The only way (that I can find) to recover is to power down ("big red
>switch" job - except that it isn't red) and start again
>* Once restarted, it usually runs ok for the rest of the day
>
>Oh, and one final thing - I'm not sure whether it's relevant . .
>It has only started happening since I installed the software for a USB-based
>Canon all-in-one printer scanner - but the device itself is at another
>location and so not physically connected - but the problem is still
>occurring. [The device doesn't show up in Device Manager, so I can't tell
>the system not to use it in this profile, or somesuch]
>
>Anyone come across anything like this, or got any ideas?


I have had similar problems in the past with anti-virus software. When
it started scanning, everything seemed to freeze. Perhaps yours is
timed to start its daily scanning at 10:00 AM?


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